Pageant celebrates 'the abilities of girls with disabilities'

After choosing 10 "princess" dresses to try on in gradient shades of pink, Olivia Elder shyly emerged from the dressing room at Bride to Be Consignment in Bloomington and stared at her 4-foot-11-inch reflection in the 10-foot mirror. She brushed her chipped green fingernails across the skirt of a coral-colored lace peplum dress and broke into a smile, then a curtsy.

"There's holes in it," she said noticing the weblike pattern. "But I like it."

When looking for "The Dress" among thousands, it helps to know what you want.

"I was thinking of something with a bow in front," said Olivia, of Minneapolis. "Something a little bit frilly."

Olivia, who is 19 and has Down syndrome, was on a mission to find the perfect dress to wear during next weekend's 2015 Minnesota Miss Amazing Pageant for special-needs girls. There will be crowns awarded, flowers handed out, evening gowns worn and interview questions answered.

It's a pageant like any other, yet like none other.

"She wouldn't be interested in a stereotypical pageant," said Olivia's sister, Nina, 21, who signed her up for Miss Amazing. "But this one seems to have a different focus."

The pageant's Minnesota chapter was created in 2013 by University of Minnesota student Jordan Crosser. It has little to do with competition or physical beauty, though audience reaction makes each girl feel like she's won the crown.

"I have never at any sporting event seen a crowd go so crazy as they do cheering on these girls," Crosser said. "This pageant gives them confidence to believe that they are just as capable as anyone else."

At least 30 girls ages 5 and up from throughout the state will walk or wheel their way across the stage at the University of St. Thomas' O'Shaughnessy Educational Center Auditorium. Some have cerebral palsy, or spina bifida or Down syndrome; others have autism, are deaf or nonverbal.

Each girl gets the chance to introduce herself, answer questions onstage, show off an outfit and perform a talent. At the end of the night, every girl gets a flower, a crown and a trophy.

"With pageants dedicated to people with disabilities, you feel important. You feel like you're just like everyone else. You feel like you matter," said Jen Onsum, the reigning Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota and 2014 Ms. Wheelchair USA runner-up. "In some ways you even forget about your disability, if only for a while. What a huge boost to your confidence and self-esteem that is."

While every contestant in the Miss Amazing Pageant is made to feel like a winner, one representative in each age division will be selected by the judges to represent Minnesota at the National Miss Amazing Pageant in Los Angeles this July.

Contestants are scored on how well they overcome personal obstacles.

"Sure, we wear fancy gowns and get all glamorous," Onsum said, "but it's about what we have accomplished despite any limitations from our disability."

When Olivia runs, she feels like she has weights on her legs. When she tries to pick something up, she feels like she's wearing three pairs of gloves. When she talks or sings, she feels like she has fuzz on her tongue.

Judges will be aware of Olivia's challenges and will score her in light of the given information and her performance.

Although Olivia's Down syndrome has made learning new things more difficult, she is a master at having the confidence to at least try them. She never went to prom or got her driver's license, but she loves to sing, bowl and practice taekwondo.

"I'm like this good," she said stretching her arms out. "I have a purple belt."

Olivia's personal goals for the pageant include being comfortable around other people, speaking clearly and getting through the talent portion.

She will perform the song "I See the Light" from the Disney movie "Tangled."

"I thought it would be a good idea to show off my talent," she said between dress fittings.

Practice makes perfect

During a recent voice lesson, Olivia practiced enunciating the words to a song from "Frozen." The notes took on a sharp tone, but that didn't matter.

"I can't believe I did it right," she said. "I sound like Elsa."

"She's a little bit tone-deaf, but it's something she really enjoys," her sister said. "Opportunities like this pageant allow her to get better at it and also feel good about herself."

Olivia is well prepared for the interview segment (after a little practice):

What's your favorite color? "My favorite color is lavender. It's really pretty. I have a lavender dress."

What's your favorite song? "My favorite song is 'Happy Working Song' from the movie 'Enchanted.' It's about this girl who goes into a different world and she meets some unusual people."

Tell me about your family: "My family is my mom and dad and sister. Nina is my sister and she plays with me sometimes. That's fun. My mom is really nice to me, she takes care of me, she does fun things with me. My dad? About the same as my mom. My dad works on computers. We are going to go out to eat together on Saturday night. We do taekwondo together, too."

Tell me about taekwondo: "It's like karate but different. Taekwondo is like sparring. At the end of the month we do dangerous stuff to be aware of our surroundings. There's one scenario where you're walking to the park and someone comes toward you and says 'I've lost my dog.' And they want you to find it for them. But I say 'no,' because they're a stranger to me, but then they try to grab me and I try to fight back."

As for the princess dress Olivia set out to find, her twirl outside of the dressing room said it all.

"There's no bow, but I like the brooch," Olivia said, beaming in a fuchsia, chiffon tea-length dress with cascading ruffles.

"This is it. It's perfect."

Aimee Blanchette • 612-673-1715